Traffic stripe lay-out device

ABSTRACT

A stripe lay-out device configured to be mounted on and operate from a motor vehicle includes a telescopically extendable tube assembly, which can be controllably displaced so as to position one or more paint guns at desired locations relative to a road or pavement surfaces for paint pre-marking such surfaces, the extendable tube assembly being swingable between horizontal working and vertical travel and parked non-working dispositions in response to operator command.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority from U.S. Prov. App. No. 60/656,075, filed Feb. 24, 2005, the contents of which are fully incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a mobile delivery system. In particular, the invention relates to a vehicle mountable stripe lay-out device for pre-marking traffic striping applications.

2. Description of the Related Art

Roadway or pavement markings play an important role in traffic safety, and the safety of roadway industry workers. Conventional, and generally accepted, methods of pre-markings pavement utilize teams of two or more persons manually placing initial marks on pavement and connecting these marks with paint marks, which are placed along a string line. Typically, the pre-marking operation takes place on foot, in live traffic with significant exposure of the workers. The most common types of pavement markings are longitudinal stripes, which divide traffic in opposite directions or channelize traffic in similar directions of travel. Since pre-marking of great stretches of roadways and pavement require substantial efforts, the entire process is extremely time consuming and labor intensive.

While automation of the pre-marking operation has increased the efficiency of this process, as well as the safety of workers, it also has introduced complicated and rather cost-prohibitive systems that can be afforded only by a selected few.

For example, a striping lay-out machine disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,702,516 includes an auxiliary cab adapted to house an operator and equipped with a control system for operating the lay-out device. The device, as disclosed in this patent, requires substantial modifications of the existing vehicles, and thereby, increases the overall cost of such device. Furthermore, the disclosed device includes a large number of mechanical, electrical and pneumatic components rendering the assembly/disassembly and maintenance of the device time-ineffective and costly. Although the art knows quite a few differently configured lay-out devices, the disadvantages of the device disclosed in the above-mentioned patent are rather typical for the known devices.

A need, therefore, exists for a traffic stripe lay-out device that has a simple and cost effective structure.

A further need exists for a traffic stripe lay-out device that can be easily mounted and dismounted to a vehicle.

Another need exists for a traffic stripe lay-out device that can be quickly converted from an operating configuration to a transport configuration for driving at highway speeds.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a traffic lay-out device that satisfies at least one of these needs. Operators involved in the field of pre-marking comply with the same business rule as any other business: output versus cost. To provide a high output in the pre-marking field, the operator has to apply stripes along as great a distance as possible in the shortest period of time. Accordingly, the inventive lay-out device is so configured that a vehicle equipped with this device is able to operate at a comfortable, yet safe (0 to 35 mph) speed during the pre-marking process.

As to the cost, the lay-out device includes a small or convenient number of components easily coupled one to others to comprise a modular structure that can be adaptively attached to a great variety of vehicles and vehicle positions in a time-effective manner not requiring any modifications of the vehicles' original design. Also, the modular structure of the lay-out device is easily adaptable for different tasks, can be mounted to the front or rear of a vehicle in accordance with a given task and/or individual preferences of the vehicle's operator and allows for quick and easy assembly for operation or breakdown for travel and storage.

In general, the lay-out device is configured with a paint system unit, pneumatic delivery units, electronic control unit and mount unit. All but the mount unit are off-the-shelf products requiring minimal assembly and structural modifications for the intended use, thereby further minimizing cost and increasing speed of adaptation.

The mount unit includes a suspension assembly, provided with a simple hitch or/and mount platform or a mid-chassis frame platform, that the operator easily can attach to a vehicle. The suspension frame further includes a guide and boom assemblies selected, e.g., from bar or rail members and removably coupled to the platform. Removably mounted to the boom assembly are telescoping tube units each carrying at least one paint gun. The tube unit is also mounted to angularly move relative to the boom unit between an operating position and a parking or travel position.

During the pre-marking operation or process, the operator energizes an actuator operative to swing the mounted telescopic tube unit to the operative position, in which it extends in a generally horizontal plane. In the parking or travel position, the tube unit easily can be moved to extend in a generally vertical position, thus, allowing the operator either to cruise or to park the vehicle in a space-efficient manner.

These and other features and aspects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a stripe lay-out device configured in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a vehicle to which the device is mounted being depicted in phantom outline.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary right side perspective view of a mount assembly configured with a boom and telescopic tube units, the tube units depicted being located at a vehicle front end and in a parking or travel disposition thereof.

FIG. 3 is a view like FIG. 2 except that the tube units are in an operating or painting disposition, the right side length being extended to full lateral expanse thereof.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view on enlarged scale of a hinge unit coupling the boom and tube units of FIGS. 1-3.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary front side perspective view of a left end part of the telescopic tube unit on which lights and/or paint nozzles can be carried and illustrates how the left lateral expanse operating disposition of the boom can lengthened beyond that seen in FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating one embodiment of a hitch platform used to couple the mount assembly of FIGS. 1-3 to a vehicle .

FIGS. 7A, 7B and 7C illustrate user interface of mixing valve/pneumatic distribution system arrangements on the vehicle.

FIG. 8 depicts a user interface of an electronic control unit.

FIG. 9 is a flow chart of the operation of the lay-out device.

FIG. 10 is a front elevation view of another embodiment of a mixing valve module/pneumatic distribution system component.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to several embodiments of the invention that are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, same or similar reference numerals are used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts or steps. The drawings are in simplified form and are not to precise scale. For purposes of convenience and clarity only, directional terms, such as top, bottom, up, down, over, above, and below may be used with respect to the drawings. These and similar directional terms should not be construed to limit the scope of the invention in any manner. The words “connect,” “couple,” “front,” “rear”, “left,” “right” and similar terms with their inflectional morphemes do not necessarily denote direct and immediate connections, but also include connections through mediate elements or devices. Also, the terms “unit” and “assembly” may be used interchangeably.

The lay-out device 10 for pre-marking a pavement surface is illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 and configured to operate on board a vehicle 12, which may be a pick-up truck, a van or other vehicle type that may receive and store tanks 14, 16 and 18 filled, respectively, with a pressurized medium, flush fluid and paint. A plurality of hoses 20 (FIG. 1) are provided for establishing flow communication between the tanks and at least one nozzle assembly 22. The device may be mounted to either one of a vehicle front bumper 15 or back bumper. Any other part of vehicle structure suited to that purpose such as body section or frame ember may also be used for mounting.

Coupling lay-out device 10 to vehicle 12 is effected with a mounting means unit 24 (FIGS. 1, 2 and 3), which, as shown exclusively for the illustrative purposes attached to the front of the vehicle, includes a hitch assembly or unit 26 (FIGS. 2 and 6) and a guide or boom assembly 28. Hitch assembly 26, as better shown in FIG. 6, is a simple U-shaped bracket-like structure having a clevis part arms 27 which are dimensioned to receive and gird boom assembly 28 and designed for coupling via bracket arm part 27 to the front of the vehicle in a variety of ways. For example, the operator may bolt bracket arm 27 to the vehicle and, thus, have the hitch assembly 26 removably mounted. Alternatively, the hitch assembly may be welded to the vehicle's frame. In sum, hitch assembly 26 may be bolt-able, fixable, or otherwise positioned to a vehicle in a wide variety of positions; and may itself be readily removed, or if fixed in position, allow ready removal of boom assembly 28.

Boom assembly 28 it will be noted includes at least one boom end section length 28 a pivot connected to boom assembly remainder length 28 b so that the one end section can pivot between an upright non-working and travel disposition and a horizontally disposed operating position. The boom assembly is mounted to the vehicle front end disposed transverse to a vehicle long axis and such that with one section 28 a in operating position, it ca locate laterally of the vehicle right side.

Placement of boom assembly 28 in the hitch unit is not arbitrary. The operator mounts the boom assembly so that apertures 30 (FIG. 6) formed in the clevis arms 27 of the hitch assembly are aligned with respective apertures of the boom assembly). Typically, the boom assembly is centered on a longitudinal axis of the vehicle and is selected from variously shaped bars, which may include circular pipes, rectangular tubes, as shown in the drawings, or U-shaped rails. Once the apertures of the hitch and boom assemblies are aligned, the operator inserts a fastener 70 selected from pins, bolts and the like through the aligned apertures so as to prevent the coupled components from voluntary displacement relative to one another. Accordingly, mounting/dismounting of the boom assembly is a simple and time-effective operation, which does not require any special skills.

Having completed the mounting step, the operator, depending on the intended location of road marks, mounts a telescoping tube unit 32 (FIGS. 1-3 and 5) to either the right or left or both ends of the boom assembly. As better seen in FIG. 5, telescopic tube unit 32 may have a plurality of slidably cooperating components including an outer tube 34, intermediate tube 36 and inner tuber 38. This telescopic arrangement wherein two extension tubes 36, 38 are slidable in a third tube 34 allows that effective operating length of the boom assembly for working laterally extended beyond both side of the vehicle is possible. The telescopic arrangement at a right end of the boom assembly is housed in the one boom end section 28 a and extends out from it tip end. At the left end of the boom assembly, the telescopic arrangement is housed in the remainder length section 28 b and extends out its free end. A tip end of the inner tube 38 provides the mounting location for both spray nozzles and a warning and sight light, such light always being present proximal any nozzle location.

Displacing each of the intermediate and inner tubes relative to one another and to outer tube 34, the operator sets the desirable distance which can be fixed for further painting operations by simply fixing the tubes to one another. Again, the operator is not limited by any particular fastening means and can use, for example, pins or bolts preventing displacement of the tubes relative to one another.

Traversing telescopic tube unit 32 are hose runs 20-1 as seen at 55 in FIG. 2 for delivering paint and flush fluid from the paint tank to nozzle assemblies 22 as well as an electric cord or cable leading to a warning or sight light 40 and paint gun solenoid (FIG. 1). The nozzle assembly 22 and lights 40 are mounted to opposite ends of a poles 42 (FIGS. 1 and 5), which, in turn, are removably attached to inner tube 38 of the telescopic assembly, as shown in FIG. 5.

Similarly to boom unit 28, telescopic tube unit 32 is shown to have rectangular components. However, any other cross-section of tubes 34, 36 and 38, as well as their number are simply an obvious modification of the disclosed components. For example, while the drawings illustrate nozzle assemblies 22 at both ends of the boom unit 28 (FIG. 1), the operator may choose to have more or less nozzles suspended from the telescopic tube unit and spaced apart at various distances.

One of possible situations dictating such a multi-nozzle arrangement may present itself when the task at hand requires painting a double-mark pattern, for example, marking the line to be painted and also marking an ‘offset’ mark for a ‘reflector’ at specific intervals during a single pass in the middle of the road.

Each of outer tube 34, inner tube 36, and innermost tube 38 has a plurality of holes configured to allow the operator to fix the extended tubes relative to one another and to provide an outlet port or ports traversed by electrical cords and/or pneumatic lines. But once again, the scope of the invention is not limited to this particular arrangement and can be expanded to include, for example, guiding means for supporting electrical, fluid and pneumatic leads which lie outside the tube unit as well as additional sighting and tracking 66 means or video cameras for operator control.

When the operator needs to travel but would like not to disassemble boom and tube units 28, 32, respectively, he actuates a power operated tube unit actuator 46 (FIG. 4) for swinging the tube unit, as mentioned above, from the operative position of FIGS. 1 and 3 to the parking or travel position of FIG. 2. Displacement of the tube unit relative to the boom assembly may be implemented by a hydraulic, pneumatic and electric means in association with a variety of mechanical linkages.

As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4, the mechanical linkage includes a hinge bracket 44 provided on each of its opposite sides with a respective pair of arms 48 and 50. Inner pair of arms 48 receives the end of boom unit 28 and pivots relative to this unit about a pin 52 (FIG. 4) in response to a force generated by actuator 46, which is also coupled to inner pair of arms 48. Outer pair of arms 50 of hinge bracket 44 is fixed to the end of tube unit 32. As can be seen in FIG. 4, a sleeve 54 can be removably mounted to the outer pair of arms and shaped to receive the inner end of tube unit 32. Accordingly, the sleeve reinforces the tube unit against bending forces in the operative position and provides the desired rigidity between the connected components.

Actuator 46 (as shown) is an electric linear actuator operative to reciprocally displace the inner end of bracket 44, which, in turn, translates this linear motion into rotational motion of the tube unit 32. Structurally, actuator 46 includes a piston and cylinder unit receiving signals from a processing unit, as will be discussed below. While an electric circuitry includes built-in end switches, two mechanical stops 56 are mounted on opposite sides of boom unit 28 and prevent a pin 53, which couples the hinge bracket to the piston of the actuator, from contacting the boom unit and bending or damaging pin 53.

The procedure for operating the lay-out device is described below following. Various means for selectively effecting and controlling one of a flow and flush fluid with pressurized air could be employed as many such techniques are know to one having ordinary skill in the art. In the present case, components such as a console module 81 (FIG. 1 and 7B) or console module 77 (FIG. 10) are used along with a controller 62 (FIG. 8). Modules 77 and 81 can be used, e.g., for mounting of mixing valves and hoses connected to these valves. Controller 62 can having control setting elements with which an operator inputs or otherwise set operating parameters and initiates and terminate paint striping and system flushing.

During an operation, upon mounting the boom and tube units to vehicle 12 (FIG. 1), the operator initially verifies at a step 80 of FIG. 9 that tank 14 contains air compressed under the desirable pressure and sufficient to drive a paint and flush solution along respective feed lines or hoses 20 towards gun units feeding the nozzles 22. Further, the operator makes sure that each of flush and paint tanks 16 and 18, respectively, contains a sufficient amount of material, as illustrated by a step 82 of FIG. 9. Each check may be made electronically by having a plurality of sensors strategically located so as to detect the desirable levels of the volume and pressure of the contained materials. As is known, each of the tanks is integrated in the system with conventional flow regulators 58, and any necessary flow select, control and mixing valves 60 (FIGS. 7A, 7B, 7C and 2) and feed lines/hoses 20 that all can be arranged on a single panel rack providing the operator with a convenient interface module, as shown in FIGS. 7B. 7C and 2, and located at an easily accessible location, such as the vehicle's bumper and trunk.

Another embodiment of controller console 77 is depicted in FIG. 10, the console being mounted at a vehicle front end, and having indicia 79 related to device operation on the console housing.

After having verified that all fluid and electric connections are in order, the operator establishes the desired width of tube unit 32. As has been previously discussed, the operator may extend intermediate and inner tubes 36 and 38, respectively, relative to outer tube 34 manually. However, the scope of the invention contemplates utilizing a plurality of motion and position sensors operative to generate output signals in response to an input control signal from a controller 62 (FIG. 8), which, in turn, of course, carries the information inputted by the operator. Replacing the manual operation of tube unit 32 with any electromechanical means enabling the tubes to slide relative to one another in response to the output signals of the sensors will allow the operator to use the lay-out device in a completely automatic manner.

Then, as shown in a step 88 of FIG. 9, the operator can open all necessary valves from controller 62 (FIG. 8). Since boom unit 28 can receive tube unit 32 at either of its opposite ends, the operator may control the lay-out device so that it paints center and a left side or center and a right side of a road.

The feed lines, diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 1, are in fact, neatly bundled and extend in the most convenient way without having loose ends and looped regions to the rear and front of the vehicle. To prevent the operator from accidentally actuating “wrong” valves, knobs 64 (FIG. 8) may be color-coded, numbered, or letter designated so that the operator knows that, for example, red-colored knobs will actuate selected valves opening lines leading to one of the left and right sides of the vehicle, whereas differently-colored knobs operate the valves so that the material is delivered to the opposite side of the vehicle. Of course, the interface of pneumatic and electric control panels contains all necessary legends.

While driving and operating the lay-out device, the operator has to select a reference point, as indicated in a step 90 of FIG. 9, unless, of course, the vehicle is equipped with a sophisticated navigation system. For this purposes, lay-out device 10 is provided with a plurality of sight pins 67 (FIG. 1) strategically positioned on the device and/or vehicle and allowing the operator to follow point of reference such as, but not limited to, a curb line, paving joints or seams, marks placed on the pavements at acceptable intervals or existing traffic lines. Once the alignment is achieved, the operator will make the appropriate selection from controller 62 (FIG. 8) to ready operate and selected paint guns with the selected pre-programmed pattern stored in the controller, as indicated by a step 92. The operator may want to check out whether the paint delivery is acceptable, as shown in a step 94 of FIG. 9.

With the device ready to layout stripes, from either a stationary or mobile condition, the operator will move a control switch 66 (FIG. 8) located on the interface of the controller and energizing the solenoid at paint gun(s) units which feed nozzles 22 ready to apply the paint material to the pavement.

Upon completing the task, the operator closes the valve pressurizing paint tank 18 (FIG. 1) and further closes the appropriate valves sending paint to the paint gun(s). Then, the operator may open valves operative to deliver flush solution from tank 16 to the gun units. The lay-out device may be provided with a suitable container for accumulating the fluid produced by flushing the gun units.

Once the fluid lines, gun units and nozzles are cleaned appropriately, the operator depressurizes flush tank 16 and all feed lines/hoses 20. Finally, the operator may decide whether to dismount the boom and tube units or displace the tube unit to the parking or travel position.

In the claims, means- or step-plus-function clauses are intended to cover the structures described or suggested herein as performing the recited function and not only structural equivalents but also equivalent structures. Thus, for example, although a nail, a screw, and a bolt may not be structural equivalents in that a nail relies on friction between a wooden part and a cylindrical surface, a screw's helical surface positively engages the wooden part, and a bolt's head and nut compress opposite sides of a wooden part, in the environment of fastening wooden parts, a nail, a screw, and a bolt may be readily understood by those skilled in the art as equivalent structures.

Although only a single or few exemplary embodiments of this invention have been described in detail above, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible in the exemplary embodiment(s) without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of this invention. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the spirit and scope of this invention as disclosed in the foregoing description. 

1. A device mountable to a vehicle for paint line stripe lay-out of road traffic surfaces, said vehicle having a front end, a rear end, and right and left sides, said device comprising: an elongated boom assembly, said boom assembly including at least one boom end section length pivot connected to a boom assembly remainder length or pivoting movement of said one end section between an upright non-working and travel disposition and a horizontally disposed operating disposition; means for mounting said boom assembly on one of said vehicle front end and said rear end disposed transverse to a vehicle long axis and such that said one end section when in operating disposition can locate laterally of one of said vehicle right side and said left side; actuator means for pivoting said end section between said upright and said horizontal dispositions; nozzle means carried at least on a distal tip end of said one end section; a source of paint carried on said vehicle; a source of flush fluid carried on said vehicle; a source pressurized air carried on said vehicle; and means for selectively effecting and controlling one of a flow of paint and a flush fluid flow from respective ones of said paint source and said flush fluid source with pressurized air from said pressurized air source to said nozzle means.
 2. A lay-out device according to claim 1, wherein said actuator means comprises a power operated unit.
 3. A lay-out device according to claim 1, wherein said nozzle means are carried at a tip end of said boom assembly.
 4. A lay-out device according to claim 1, wherein said one boom end section length carries at least one telescopic extension length slidably therein for extending an effective operating length thereof.
 5. A lay-out device according to claim 4, wherein said one boom end section length carries at least a second telescopic extension length slidably within said at least one extension length.
 6. A lay-out device according to claim 5, wherein said nozzle means is carried at a tip end of said second telescopic extension length.
 7. A lay-out device according to claim 1, wherein a warning and sight light is carried on said boom assembly proximal a location of each nozzle means.
 8. A lay-out device according to claim 1, wherein said boom assembly mounting means comprises a hitch unit having a clevis part fixed to said boom assembly in which said boom assembly is received, and a bracket part for affixing said hitch unit to a front end structure part of said vehicle.
 9. A lay-out device according to claim 1, wherein said selectively effecting and controlling means includes a console mounted on said vehicle for mounting mixing valve means thereon and hose members connected to said mixing valve means.
 10. A lay-out device according to claim 9, wherein said selectively effecting and controlling means further includes a controller console having control setting elements thereon with which an operator sets operating parameters and initiates paint striping.
 11. A lay-out device according to claim 10, wherein said controller console is mounted to said front end of said vehicle.
 12. A lay-out device according to claim 11, wherein said controller console carries indicia instructing device operating steps thereon.
 13. A lay-out device according to claim 1, wherein a free end of said remainder length of said boom assembly carries a telescopic extension length for extending boom assembly operating length laterally to the left side of said vehicle. an operating length in a direction away from the connection of said remainder length with said boom one end section.
 14. A lay-out device according to claim 13, wherein said free end of said remainder length of said boom assembly carries another extension length telescopically slidably received in the first-mentioned extension length for further extending said boom assembly operating length.
 15. A lay-out device according to claim 1, wherein said means for mounting said boom assembly on said vehicle front end comprises at least two hitching units, said hitching units including a part fixable to said boom assembly remainder length and, a bracket arm part fixable to structure of said vehicle.
 16. A lay-out device according to claim 15, wherein said hitching units are disposed symmetrically of a long axis of said vehicle.
 17. A lay-out device according to claim 16, further comprising a third hitching unit mounting said boom assembly to said vehicle, said third hitching unit being disposed centrally of said two hitching units on said vehicle long axis.
 18. A lay-out device according to claim 17, wherein said hitching unit parts fixable to said boom assembly remainder length are one of removably connected and fixedly connected to said boom assembly remainder length, and hitching units bracket arm parts are one of removably connected and fixedly connected to said vehicle structure. 